Finally, after finding the truth, I returned.

I returned... just to find everything on fire?

WHO BURNED THE MANSION!!?

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I arrived at the Mansion hoping to meet my team but the sight stunned me. Everything was burning. I was standing in the middle of the hall, all alone.

I then noticed Ms. Rita, the head maid working in Varsha's house, lying on the floor in front of the exit. Her forehead was bleeding. I ran towards her and sat near her.

“Ms. Rita? Ms. Rita? Are you alright?” I asked restlessly.

She slowly opens her eyes.

“Master Leo. Thank God you arrived.” She said in a low voice.

“What happened here? Who did all this?”

“It was him. He came here and took those prisoners.” She replied in a low voice. “He’s after Madam Varsha. He wants to control your power. He'll try to get the King's card by force. Please... save her.”

“Who are you talking about?”

She slowly sat up.

Back at the Imperial Palace...

A loud bang suddenly captured everyone's attention. The barrier surrounding the Imperial Palace shattered.

“What the...?” Kreed looked at the sky with surprise.

[“Everyone, stay alert! Someone forcefully broke the game’s barrier! Both teams, stay on guard! This is an outside force!”]

Angela announced with a worried voice.

“What is going on?” Elena looked at the sky too and asked herself.

Then a magical circle appeared in the battlefield and 5 figures appeared.

The first one was the seducer, Luna. Second was the axe girl, Kelly. Third was the swordsman who I punched on face, Diego. His face still had a scar of burnt. The fourth was the Archer girl, Shuna. The last was unknown. He was a mid aged man. Maybe somewhere in 40s. He wore decent suit and jeans but his face was mean and scary. His hairs were long, up to his shoulders.

“Who are you?” Kreed asked with an annoyed voice. “And how did you entered the game?”

“Hello there, kids. The name is Jekshuu Swandish. I'm a high class member of the Elusive Faction and the King and Conjuror of Team Swandish.” He replied. “And this... is my team.”

“The leader of Swandish group. The people who attacked you. Jekshuu Swandish.” Miss Rita told me.

I made a confused and serious face.

“Who’s he?!”

“He... He's a high level member of Elusive Faction. Madam Varsha's life is in danger. Please, help her.” She joined her hands while requesting me. “The match against Master Kreed is going on in Imperial Palace. Please hurry. He is headed there too.”

“Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to her. I promise.” I said and ran outside. The thread glowed and Lily spoke.

[“But how is Master planning to go there? Master cannot just teleport there and he don't even know where it is.”]

I stopped with a lost face. How will I even get there?

Back at Imperial Palace...

“High class member from Elusive Faction?” Kreed repeated with an intense look. “What's your business here?”

“You, my dear.” Jekshuu replied with an evil smile. He was looking at Varsha. “You are the reason why I came here.”

“What?” Varsha asked with a puzzled look.

“You are familiar with my team, aren't you? My Rank Queen Enhancer, Luna. My Rank Jack Tank, Kelly. My Rank 7 Swordsman, Diego. My Rank 5 Archer, Shuna.” He introduced. “It took me a detour to free my Enhancer and Tank that’s why I got a little late.”

“Tell me that you didn’t do anything to my servants back at the Mansion!” Varsha asked angrily.

“Ah, about that. I'll pay you back for the little firework that my team caused to your beautiful home.” Jekshuu replied with a smirk.

“You Bastard!” Varsha shot a magical ball at him but a shield of green colour formed in an instant and the ball evaporated at contact.

“What? How?” Varsha got shocked. “My magic can erase anything!”

“Yes it can. But my dear, I am no ordinary Conjuror. I mastered the Magic Element Poison. It evaporates anything it touches. It’s the only magic that can counter your Eradication Magic.” Jekshuu explained.

“What’s your business here, you stupid ass? We are in middle of an important battle!” Kreed glared.

“Didn’t your parents taught you manners of talking?” Jekshuu asked intensely. “When 2 people are talking, the third one should not interfere.”

“You spilling your causes or do I have to beat them out of you?” Kreed asked again.

Jekshuu sighed.

“I am here to take Varsha in my team.” He declared.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“No, sorry. She’s about to lose to me and she’ll be mine. So you can take your shit ass face and leave.” Kreed replied with a challenging voice.

“Heh.” Jekshuu smirked. “Weren’t you listening? I said I am here to take her, not to ask for her. I want her card so that I can control the Blank Card.”

Kreed launched a punch surrounded by Magical Brown Aura at Jekshuu. He was about to land it but the green shield formed again and saved Jekshuu. The force pushed Jekshuu back.

“Blank Card, Blank Card, Blank Card! WHY IS EVERYONE AFTER THAT SHIT?!” Kreed said in an angry voice. “He’s just a human who got lucky and got that power! HE’S A COWARD!”

“You dared to Punch me?” Jekshuu glared. “Your parents really didn’t taught you any manners!”

“Shut you mouth!” Kreed launched at him again but this time, he fell down in mid way.

“MASTER?!!” Kreed's team exclaimed and ran towards him.

“W-Wh-What happened... To me?” Kreed looked at ground as he was kneeling. “What did you do?”

“It's all your carelessness.” Jekshuu raised his hand and then a green cloud formed around Kreed.

“NO! GET BACK EVERYONE!!!” Kreed warned his team but was soon as they reached him, the cloud exploded and all of them fall away.

“Uha! Uha! Dugh! M-My body... It's getting... Numb!” The Swordsman said while sitting up.

“I can’t... Move...” The Archer girl was crawling.

“Don't bother calling your death sooner. My Poison Magic is spreading inside your body, making your body numb. You'll be losing your consciousness very soon.” Jekshuu explained. “Now then, back to our business. Will you give in to me or do I have to make you suffer like these fools?”

“Give in to you? Don’t make me laugh. Even if we have to die, not one of us will be kneeling before you.” Varsha replied with a harsh tone.

“Too bad. I was thinking of sparing your lives because I only needed the Blank Card. But I guess that I’ll have to kill all of you.”

“What are you aiming for?” Varsha asked intensely.

“My aim is way father than you can see. I’ll become the ultimate God here and will lead this cursed works to new dawn.” Jekshuu replied. “Just cooperate and give me your card.”

“What makes you think that you can get it the way you want? Blank Card’s power have been activated and Leo knows how to use it. You won't be able to force him to join your side. Even if you defeat me here, I'll destroy my card rather than handing it over to you. If my card gets destroyed, the Ace will forever remain in Leo because he can't Eject it. You will never be able to make him your card.”

“That's a nice plan you thought of. But too bad, it doesn't work like that. This world have many things that you don't know about. You kids are immature. If you die and destroy the card, it'll become easier for me to capture the Blank Card because he'll become a Rogue Card.”

“You don't have the strength to capture a Rogue Card if it's a Blank Card. Leo can easily defend himself.”

“Wanna bet?” Jekshuu asked with a smirk. “I have a way to capture him. I know his weakness, after all.”

“His weakness?” Kenna asked.

“He can do anything for big breasts. Isn't that right?”

Varsha gave him a serious glare.

“If that's how you’re planning, then I can't let you reach him!” Varsha shot a Magical Ball. The shield protected Jekshuu.

“I always wondered if my Poison Magic was superior or your Eradication Magic. Let’s find out today.” Jekshuu smile and then shot a pillar of poison.

Varsha growled and then formed a Magical Circle which Shielded her. She then pushed the same Magical Circle towards Jekshuu and erased everything in between. Even the ground was getting erased. Jekshuu shot a beam of poison and both attacks countered each other and exploded.

Varsha then formed many smaller circles and shot many balls at once.

“Hahahaha! This is getting fun! Give me all you got!” Jekshuu laughed while dodging Varsha’s attacks.

The balls were shot all around as Jekshuu kept on dodging. Walls, pillars and rooms were getting collapsed and holes were formed in them because of Varsha’s Magical Balls. Dust clouds started raising. Even the ceiling started crumbling and falling apart.

“Damn! They are going all out at it!” Raghav exclaimed while dodging the falling rocks.

“Master sure isn’t holding back.” Alisa commented as she shot an arrow above herself. The arrow created a Magical Circle in sky, big enough to shelter them from the rocks.

Elena raised her hands and formed a shield around Kreed and his team.

“You should not lie in open when such a fierce battle is going on.” Elena taunted with a teasing smile.

“You should not rest easy either!” Luna said while shooting some black Magical beam at Elena. Raghav stood between them and countered with a freezing slash. He was about to fall but he stood by supporting himself with his Swords.

“Hey. Hey. Pretty boy. You should not interfere in girls’ playtime. We have our own accounts unsettled.” Diego walked towards Raghav while slashing some falling rocks.

Alisa quickly shot some arrows at Diego but Shuna countered them with her’s.

“Archers shouldn’t meddle in other’s business. Won’t you agree?” Shuna taunted with a smug. Alisa gave a glare to her.

“Since everyone else is on their move, I’m stuck with you again.” Kelly was swinging her axe. “Aren’t you that Man who punched me? That punch last time is going to cost you girl.”

Kenna nervously took a battle stance.

As the dust clouds raised up all around, Jekshuu hid himself behind them. Varsha looked around with just the movements of her eyes. Her hands started glowing and she formed 2 Magical Circle in them. The next second, she turned back and blocked a Sword which was made of Poison Magic.

“Not bad. I thought you weren’t good in close combat but it turned out you can hold your ground. I’m impressed, Varsha.” Jekshuu praised with a smug.

“I don’t feel comfortable impressing you of all people. I’d rather live in solitude.” She pushed him back.

“Do you even realise that you’re hurting my feelings?” Jekshuu asked with a smirk. “A girl of your status should be friendly with everyone.”

“I don’t need some craped up advices from you. I know my status and right now, it tells me to eradicate you from this world!”

She angrily launched a beam of Magic towards Jekshuu.

“Too bad, you can’t do that.” Jekshuu gave a confident evil smug and then created a small but dense ball of Magic and then launched it at her.

The ball dispersed the beam as it went forward and finally reached Varsha. She got surprised as the ball hits her and exploded.

“VARSHA!!!” Elena and Kenna exclaimed with worry.

The smoke faded and revealed that she was alright. She formed a Magical Shield at the last moment and avoided the damage.

An explosion happened and this time, it was from Diego. He sent Raghav flying at some big stones and wounded him hard.

“You don’t seem to pack that much of a punch like last time. What happened? Got scared of me?” Diego asked with a disgusting smug.

“Damn! This is crap!” Raghav said to himself as he tried to stand up.

“Raghav, Are you alright?” Varsha asked.

“Y-Yeah. I can still... Fight!” He loudly declared. “At least until he... Returns.” He slowly tried to stand.

“You can’t win from me. Why can’t you understand?” Jekshuu tried to break her confidence. “Tell me this, if he’s not your teammate anymore then why protect him?”

Varsha stood speechless at that question.

“I won't let you do anything to him because he’s my best friend.” Raghav said while standing up.

“Raghav. You need to lie down.” Elena told in a worried expression.

“Even if he’s not in the team anymore, I know that he’ll return. We promised to kick each other’s ass in hard times. There's no way that he'll let me down!” Raghav completed.

“Oh? Was that supposed to scare me?” Jekshuu’s face had an evil smirk. “Then tell me. Where is your friend right now?”

“I don’t know that... but he’ll definitely come to kick your ass. I can tell that because we’re best buddies.” Raghav declared with a confident smirk. His eyes were giving off a serious challenge. “He’ll come for sure!”

Back at the Mansion...

“Damn it! I can't think of anything! There must be a way.” I angrily gritted my teeth while looking around. “If only I didn't left, I could've been there with them. Damn it! I'm an ASSHOLE!”

Then something walked towards me in the open ground. I got a little surprised and then I smiled.

“You came at the best possible time. Thank you.”

It was Miki. This girl’s my friend too, although she’s a bird. We took off for the Imperial Palace.

I was really worried now. Although, the game got interrupted, both sides have suffered a huge damage.

Will they be able to face this new threat?

Will they be able to survive until I get there?

*

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WILL I BE ABLE TO EVEN MAKE IT IN TIME?!!